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This:



or this:



The original convertible sousa.

TubaTinker wrote:This: or this:

I vote for the one that expelling the bagpipes!

windshieldbug wrote:

TubaTinker wrote:This: or this:

I vote for the one that expelling the bagpipes!

Hadn't noticed that! You don't miss much!

You go, Schlep!...

Why is it so hard to find a working one, when everyone seems to admire their light weight and balance?

schlepporello wrote:

windshieldbug wrote:You go, Schlep!...

At least I can now say I own a helicon, even if it isn't playable.

Give you $30 for it! Seriously... It shouldn't be much of a problem to scare up a valveset to stick on it.

jacobg wrote:Why is it so hard to find a working one, when everyone seems to admire their light weight and balance?

US [directed] companies build sousaphones or contras. Most everybody else uses regular horns on straps if they march. Just tradition.

schlepporello wrote:At least I can now say I own a helicon, even if it isn't playable.

I got my 1912 Holton "Monster Bore" helicon much the same way. It had valves, but it was even painted in a similar goofy manner.

BTW, anybody got an old silver Holton fixed leadpipe?

schlepporello wrote:

jacobg wrote:Why is it so hard to find a working one, when everyone seems to admire their light weight and balance?

The only thing I can figure out is that to my knowledge there is only one company that still makes a Helicon. They go for around $3800 at Woodwind and Brasswind and I've heard differing views about their quality and playability. I'm sure there are more factories making good ones in Europe, but they don't seem to be making it across the Atlantic.

I wouldn't count on it - I'd bet Amati/Cerveny is the only one left with new helicons coming off the line.

When they're right there at WW&BW about as cheap as any tuba, and people are asking "why is it so hard to find a working one", that's a self-answering question - people only want old helicons, and that can't last. I can't be too critical, since I never bought a new one either, but if I can offer a little encouragement - I have a Czech Eb like this that for me is a pretty fine tuba, sort of in the Monster Eb category. The ergonomics are a bit of a squeeze, and the intonation probably isn't perfect, but I would guess it's comparable to old US designs in both respects. I have never seen a picture of the Cerveny Eb, and can't say for sure it's built along the same lines, but it likely is.

Well, it's not like a helicon painted like that has a lot of other productive uses...

But a helicon is a honkin' (excuse the pun) big item... they might not have realized just HOW big until the auction was over. This ain't easy to ship. May take a while to find that out. Maybe they're trying to find something reasonable, figuring how big a box to get, or discovering the joys of Grayhound... You may want to mention that to them.

Or maybe not. Good luck, either way!

schlepporello wrote:One thing I find amusing is that the shipping costs are more than what my winning bid was (but only slightly higher).

Sounds about right!

I would suspect that if you wanted to, a new bell section fashioned from an upright could be found very easily, and cut to size (look at beautiful work Herr bloke was able to accomplish with his!). Then again, perhaps you could build an effective Texas fire lookout from it!

Congrats Schlep, on your purchase. Make sure you keep us all posted on whatever it turns out to be ( horn vs. mailbox )

schlepporello wrote:Whatever I decide to do with it, the cracks and tears are gonna have to be fixed first before they either get worse or somebody gets hurt just handling the horn.

Hey Schlepp,
Tear that danged bulldog off your hood and mount it there!!!